Strengthening the UK’s Resilience to Flooding

As active members of the Know Your Flood Risk campaign, we closely monitor the undertakings of the group in its quest to raise awareness of flooding on a national level.  

This week, we saw Mary Dhonau OBE, the chief executive of the campaign, chair and speak at a Public Policy Exchange symposium that focused on ‘Strengthening the UK’s resilience to flooding’. 

The event, which was attended by Emergency Planning Officers, the Environment Agency, District and Borough Councils, Civil Contingencies Managers, Local Authority Councillors and members of the insurance industry to name but a few, debated ways to design effective strategies to safeguard the UK against flooding, constructing resilient strategies at the local level and the role of the Lead Local Flood Authorities and other emergency services in a flood crisis to support communities.

Confirmed Mary Dhonau OBE: “The symposium was a great opportunity for people with a wide range of responsibilities and specialisms to come together to share best practice, whilst also gain valuable insights into emergency preparedness at the local level.  With the UK’s vulnerability to extreme weather conditions and the increasing number of flooding occurrences, it was a timely event that discussed all avenues of flooding: – from identifying the risks before they happen, to having a robust contingency or emergency framework in place so communities can respond quickly, when time is of the essence.”

To find out more about the Know Your Flood Risk campaign, click here:

http://www.knowyourfloodrisk.co.uk/our-campaign

Flood Risk app listed in The Times' "35 Best Apps for Your Home"

On Friday 3 April, The Times published an article on its website that recommended the "35 best apps for your home."

The article provides advice regarding what free apps you should use if you're looking to buy or sell a property, renting or letting a home, taking out a mortgage, making home improvements or even just redecorating.

We were very pleased to see that the free 'Flood Risk' app from the Know Your Flood Risk campaign - which we are members of - was included in the write-up and featured fourth in the listing.

Also included in the Top 35 were apps such as Cell Phone Coverage Map, FixMyStreet, Stamp Duty Calculator, Mortgage Repayment Calculator and My Room Painter.

The full article can be accessed here.

What is ‘Know Your Flood Risk’?
The campaign is focused on helping people identify if there is a flood risk connected to their home or property. It also provides essential practical guidance to enable individuals to mitigate against or prepare for the risk of being flooded.  A free mobile phone app is available that provides a risk rating using data from a number of qualified flood risk specialists.

The website also contains a host of practical advice, guides and tips for homeowners who may be facing a risk or perhaps wish to delve deeper into finding out what their home’s prospect of flooding really is.

www.knowyourfloodrisk.co.uk

Flood Defences: what will feature in the Chancellor’s Budget?

Here at Landmark, as members of the Know Your Flood Risk campaign, we are fully behind the latest announcement from the ‘Flood Free Homes’ campaign, which urges the Chancellor to think ahead in terms of increasing spending on flood defences and maintenance, in this week’s Budget.

The Flood Free Homes campaign was launched by the Association of British Insurers, and is supported by Friends of the Earth, National Flood Forum, the Property Care Association’s Flood Protection Group, the BRE Centre for Resilience and, of course, the Know Your Flood Risk campaign.

Its aim is to raise the issue of long-term flood defence investment and land and water management, and so the campaign believes that the Budget needs to “set the tone” for future Spending Reviews so that protection against future flooding is seen as a national priority.

Commenting on the news, Mary Dhonau OBE, who is Chief Executive of the Know Your Flood Risk Campaign said: “Having been flooded myself, I know only too well how devastating it can be! It is essential that spending on flood risk and climate change is prioritised by the next Government. Our infrastructure is woefully inadequate and needs urgent investment to make it fit for purpose for both now and in the future!”

Mary Dhonau OBE

Continues Mary: “We set up the Know Your Flood Risk Campaign several years ago to help people understand their current and future flood risk.  We not only provide free guidance on how to work out your potential risk, but offer access to a wealth of guides and reports on how to prepare, prevent or recover from incidences of flooding.   As well as an interactive website and free mobile app, visitors can also purchase a property-specific flood risk assessment that provides a clear picture on current risks related to a property or its wider locality.”

www.knowyourfloodrisk.co.uk

‘Know Your Flood Risk’ to address GovKnow Flooding Policy Briefing

“Responding to the Growing Risks of Flooding and Coastal Erosion”

5th February 2015

Carburton Street, London

Mary Dhonau OBE, the chief executive of the Know Your Flood Risk campaign has been invited to speak at a GovKnow Policy Briefing, which will address the growing risk of flooding and coastal erosion across the UK.

The in-depth, policy-led briefing, which takes place on 5 February in London, brings together key policy makers, shapers and stakeholders who have an interest or involvement in managing flood risk and coastal protection, including local authorities, emergency services, business owners based in high-risk locations and policy makers.

Mary Dhonau OBE, who has personally experienced the appalling impact of flooding, will be talking to delegates about how to plan, prepare and mitigate against the risk of flooding, including analysing what information is available to accurately calculate the current and future dangers posed by flooding in specific locations, from county-level down to individual postcodes, communities or streets.

Confirms Mary: “Know Your Flood Risk works with major data providers, including Landmark Information Group, to maintain up to date flood risk modelling data. This ensures that detailed and accurate risk information is accessible on the different types and levels of flood risk across the country.  It is vital that homeowners, local authorities, the emergency services and policy makers are fully aware of how to calculate your flood risk at a community level, and if a risk is present what can be done to help prevent or mitigate against future flood risk.”

Know Your Flood Risk provides information and support on flood recovery and general flood resilience via its acclaimed guides. As part of its bid to educate homeowners, public sector organisations and businesses on their flood risk, Know Your Flood Risk provides access to flood reports, powered by Landmark Information Group’s flood risk data, which enables individuals to assess the flood risk to individual properties, streets, towns or regions. 

With Government figures suggesting that nearly one in six properties in England is at risk of flooding and that flood damage cost England alone £1.1 billion a year, the GovKnow event will examine the threat of flooding and coastal change, re-evaluate the policies and discuss the recent changes, providing a comprehensive insight into what is considered a complex policy issue.

To find out more about the Know Your Flood Risk campaign, or to download a number of free advice guides, visit:  www.knowyourfloodrisk.co.uk

GovKnow Briefing Location: Holiday Inn Regents Park, Carburton Street, London, W1W 5EE

Date: 5 February 2015

Bookings: To book your place at the briefing, click here:

http://govknow.com/briefing-detail.html?id=1408&info=overview

JBA Comprehensive Flood Map launches on Landmark Labs

Sample dataset published to provide an insight into the breadth of the latest flood data from JBA

Landmark Information Group, the UK’s leading supplier of digital mapping, property and environmental risk information, has released on to the Landmark Labs portal a sample dataset of JBA Risk Management Limited’s latest Comprehensive Flood Map of Great Britain, to enable land, property and environmental professionals to preview JBA’s extensive flood risk data and give feedback on its potential applications and suitability.

By accessing the sample data on Landmark Labs, users have the ability to interrogate JBA’s extensive flood datasets in the vicinity of Goring-by-Sea, showcasing the highly detailed flooding extents and associated flooding depth information.  A variety of different flood scenarios are presented, including  pluvial flooding (at 1:75, 1:200 and 1:1000 year return periods); undefended fluvial flooding (at 1:20, 1:75, 1:100, 1:200 and 1:1000 year return periods); and undefended coastal flooding risk hazards (at 1:75, 1:100, 1:200 and 1:1000 year return periods).

Mark Burnard, Senior Product Manager at Landmark Information Group said: “The sample JBA flooding data in Landmark Labs provides a preview of the new datasets that are now available to our customers, and gives them the opportunity to take a closer look at the data and tell us what they think.  JBA’s extensive flood data can provide our users with an even greater breadth of flood risk assessment information, in order for them to provide the best advice to their clients.

The sample JBA flood data will be available on Landmark Labs until the end of February 2015, enabling environmental professionals, insurers, planners, developers and other professionals to become familiar with the dataset and offer comments or feedback, which will ultimately guide the way in which we integrate this data into our products.”

For more information visit www.envirocheck.co.uk and www.jbarisk.com.

New 'Flood Risk' mobile app helps the public stay 'flood aware'

Free mobile app launched from Know Your Flood Risk aims to help homeowners, property purchasers and professionals quickly identify potential risk

With the Met Office predicting wetter-than-average conditions for December and January, and many parts of the UK recovering from the arrival of the recent ‘weather bomb’ gales, the team at the Know Your Flood Risk campaign has announced the launch of a free-to-download Flood Risk mobile app to help individuals quickly assess whether they are at potential risk of flooding.

With the government pledging to publish more flood-related information to the wider public to improve the quality of public-focused services, the Flood Risk app, which is available to download from iTunes, provides an accurate view of current flood risk, using a range of data sources.

The app lets you input your postcode, where it will immediately assess the potential risk of flooding within a 25m zone of the given location.   The data is taken from Landmark Information Group’s ‘Know Your Flood Risk®’ report, which uses current data sources from National Flood Risk Assessment (NaFRA), the Environment Agency and surface water flooding data from JBA risk management.

Mary Dhonau, Chief Executive of the Know Your Flood Risk campaign said: “Having been flooded on several occasions, I can personally vouch that being flooded is an absolutely appalling experience! Flood risk is not an issue just for those that live by the sea or near a river, but can affect homes as a result of surface water flooding, which many people don’t expect or plan for.  I therefore urge everyone to take a look at the app so they can instantly see whether they may be considered at risk.  Forewarned is forearmed, therefore if you fully understand your risk, you can plan prepare and take moves to protect against it.”

As well as providing a mapped view of a location’s flood risk, the Flood Risk app also provides access to live UK Flood Warnings from the Environment Agency, in addition to access to a free ‘Homeowner’s Guide to Flood Resilience’. This Guide offers practical advice on how homeowners can prevent and protect their home from flooding. It is also possible for users to purchase a detailed Flood Risk Report via the app, should they require a more detailed analysis of their home’s flood risk.

According to the Environment Agency, approximately 5.2 million properties in England – which equates to on one in every six properties – is at risk of flooding. Of these, 2.4 million properties are at risk of flooding from rivers or the sea, while a further 2.8 million properties are considered vulnerable to surface water flooding.

The Know Your Flood Risk Campaign provides consumers and professionals with a range of resources to help them prepare for, or mitigate the risk of flooding.  For more information, visit www.knowyourfloodrisk.co.uk. 

To download the app, click on: https://itunes.apple.com/app/id941612469

Flood Defence Spending: BBC Radio Five Live

In advance of the Flood Defence Expo (4-5 December, London Excel), Mary Dhonau, chief executive of the Know Your Flood Risk campaign was invited as a guest on to BBC Radio Five Live's Breakfast show to discuss today's news regarding a £2.3bn investment in flood defences.

In an interview with Adam Parsons, Mary Dhonau discusses what the £2.3bn investment will mean for certain regions of the UK, which has been announced by the Treasury as part of the 2014 National Infrastructure Plan.

The full interview can be listened to using the BBC Five Live 'listen again' feature, during the next four weeks: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04sv04v - (click to 01:49:00)

Mary Dhonau OBE

For more details regarding the Treasury's announcement, click here:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30282701

For more details regarding the Know Your Flood Risk Campaign, or to access a free Flood Resilience Guide, visit: http://www.knowyourfloodrisk.co.uk/

What Is It Like To Flood?

On the 4th and 5^th of December, the Flood Defence & Prevention Expo presents a range of solutions to widespread flooding problems from many of the UK’s leading flood prevention companies and experts.  The two day-event, which is taking place at the Excel Centre in London, is also hosting an extensive seminar and workshop programme to highlight new, cost-effective ways to help prevent and manage floods.

Mary Dhonau OBE, Chief Executive of the ‘Know Your Flood Risk’ campaign – which is supported by Landmark Information Group – will be speaking at the event.   During the Flood Defence Expo, Mary will be discussing what it's like to flood, how to plan, prepare and mitigate for it. 

Mary has been flooded herself on many occasions and has extensive experience in supporting and advising the victims of flooding during their recovery.

Mary Dhonau OBE

Explains Mary: “Being flooded is an appalling experience! The presentation will describe what individuals who do flood have to go through and will go on to give examples of how to plan, prepare, mitigate and become resilient to being flooded. I will also be urging everyone to download a copy of Know Your Flood Risk’s free Guide to Flood Resilience, which is the best guide of its type in the country for providing practical, hands-on advice to identifying your risk, through to putting measures in place to resist and overcome future floods from impacting your lives.”

Mary has represented the ‘voice of the flood victim’ for many years and is affectionately known as `Mary Queen of Floods`. She was awarded an OBE for services to the environment in the Queen`s Birthday Honours list in 2009.

In addition to her role as Chief Executive of Know Your Flood Risk, Mary also chairs the Flood Protection Group for the Property Care Association, and is a member of the Regional Flood and Coastal committee for Anglian Northern.   She also runs a consultancy (MD Associates) specialising in raising awareness of flood risk, how to militate against it and recover from it.

Mary’s presentation takes place on Thursday 4 December @ 14:00 in Seminar Hall Three.

To find out more about the Flood Defence Expo or to book tickets to attend, visit http://www.flooddefenceexpo.co.uk/.

On This Day In History: The 1814 London Beer Flood

As specialists in providing flood risk data and reports, we often report on the various flooding incidences that occur across the UK – from fluvial (river), pluvial (surface water), coastal and groundwater.  Our data provides accurate details that can be assessed to determine the potential risk posed at any given property or location.

Our colleagues at JBA Risk Management, specialists in hazard mapping and catastrophe modelling, have provided us with details on a major flooding event with a difference, which occurred exactly 200 years ago today.  We wanted to share the details of the 1814 London Beer Flood to mark the anniversary and illustrate the impact that surface water flooding can have on a location, regardless of the source:

“Exactly two hundred years ago today, over one million pints of beer flooded London’s Tottenham Court Road when the vats from a local porter brewery gave way.

The vats at The Horse Shoe Brewery on the corner of Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street, now the site of the Dominion Theatre, were owned by Meux and Company, (which became Friary Meux in 1965) a successful supplier of porter style beer. There was a trend for larger and larger vats at this time and Meux & Co were proud of theirs, one of which was said in 1785 to be able to hold the equivalent of 4,500 barrels of beer.

However, on 17 October 1814, disaster struck: a vat containing 3,550 barrels of fermenting beer exploded. In so doing, it knocked the cocks out of another huge vat, brought down a wall and part of the roof which in turn smashed many hogsheads, each containing 420 pints of beer. In total some 1,080,000 pints of porter rushed out into the street in a wall of beer around 15 feet high, flattening two houses and badly damaging the nearby Tavistock Arms pub.

The area around St Giles parish where the accident took place was known as “Rookeries” due to the number of persons living in each house and their generally low standard of living and housing. Had the flood occurred in the night time, there would have been many more fatalities. Fortunately it took place in the daytime while most folk were at work; even so, some eight unfortunate souls were unable to escape in time from the rapidly flooding basements and cellars of the Rookeries.

Reports at the time claim that people in the nearby area were seen scooping up beer from the streets and in some cases, kneeling down to suck it up straight from the ground. It's hard to imagine such an extraordinary industrial accident occurring today, but if it did, would we behave any differently?  Whatever the answer to that, this will probably be the best day for a long time to come to go to your local and have a pint, remembering the day that London was awash with beer.

Alison Ford, Marketing

JBA Risk Management”

---

What really happened in the London Beer Flood 200 years ago?

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/what-really-happened-in-the-london-beer-flood-200-years-ago-9796096.html

Fluvial, pluvial, tidal, or groundwater: Landmark maps all flood risk

This month, Landmark featured in a prominent Sunday Telegraph supplement that focused on flood risk and protection.

The article focused on Landmark’s introduction of the ESI National Groundwater Flood Risk Map data, which has been integrated into the flood risk reports.  This means that detailed analysis on all forms of flood – fluvial (river), pluvial (surface water), coastal or tidal and now groundwater – can now be analysed to assess the risk posed at a given property or location.

With extreme weather conditions threatening to become ever more prevalent, plus Environment Agency data illustrating that overall flood risk has increased over the last decade, the ability to accurately assess associated risk is increasingly important in first stage prevention.

At Landmark, we provide access to specialist flood data from a range of expert sources and produce bespoke flood analysis reports to clarify what level of risk is posed to a particular area of land, building site or property.

Our environmental data is exhaustive and by analysing risk rather than susceptibility, our reports provide accurate due diligence, so preventative measures or an appropriate action plan can be put in place, as needed.

To read a copy of the full supplement – click here.

After the Winter Floods

The Floods of December '13, January, February and March '14 seemed never ending.  The media extensively covered the relentless weather that battered our country, and day-by-day we learned of the devastation that floods from both the sea and rivers brought with them.

We saw graphic images of homes wrecked over the Christmas and New Year period and deep floodwater covering vast swathes of Somerset for weeks on end, cutting off communities from the outside world and ruining the livelihoods of so many in the farming community.  

We watched as the Thames wreaked havoc in Egham, Wraysbsury and Datchet, and the Severn rising to record breaking heights in the Midlands.

To many people, the floods of the Winter of ‘13/14 are now nothing more than a memory and a conversation topic. I ask you to spare a few moments to think about what those homeowners are going through now – at the end of April. Flooding is not just about when the media and ministers visit.

Being flooded can wreck your daily life for at least 9 months whilst your home is being dried out and restored back to ‘normal’  I want to share with you a few of the photos I’ve been sent via Twitter from people who were flooded. These are photos of their homes right now and are from homes in Tonbridge and Somerset.

These people, and so many like them, still face months out of their homes, along with the misery and hardship that brings with it.

This is why I am so passionate about raising awareness of flood risk; to enable individuals and communities to plan, prepare and militate against it. In many cases, flooding can be prevented and in others, by adapting homes to be more resilient to flooding, the impact can be significantly reduced.

For further information visit www.knowyourfloodrisk.co.uk and download a free copy of the Homeowners Guide to Flood Resilience.

Mary Dhonau OBE

Chief Executive, Know Your Flood Risk Campaign

Follow Mary on twitter @floodmary

Follow the campaign KYFR @flooduk

Know Your Flood Risk’s “Flood Recovery Guide”: a whirlwind account from concept to delivery

Having been flooded myself, I know only too well what an appalling situation it is. It can literally turn people’s lives upside down if they are affected. When I was flooded there was no information anywhere as to what to do and when. It has long been my ambition to create a downloadable Flood Recovery Guide that will help victims of flood through those first bleak weeks.

Sadly, never has the timing been so good…

Working with Carly Rose, our PHD campaign researcher, (yes, she has also been flooded),we put together a guide of all the best information we could find and added some practical hints and tips based on our own experiences.  Then the terrible the coastal surge happened in November. The talented team at the Know Your Flood Risk offices rushed through the design stage and within a matter of days hard copies had been produced and delivered to Boston in Lincolnshire, where the worst of the tidal flooding had occurred.

From that moment my feet did not touch the ground for several months, as the cruel winter floods of 2013/14 just didn’t stop coming. The guide was in great demand - we got a request for hard copies from Tonbridge and Yalding following the dreadful Christmas day floods there.  Also in demand were the media requests for me to talk about the guide and to give practical advice via TV, radio and in many national papers.  I became a regular guest on BBC breakfast and on ITV’s ‘Daybreak’. I went onto every news channel, appeared on The One Show Live Flood Special (where we managed to ship more free copies of our guide to residents in Wraysbury), spoke on the Today programme, videoed by the Sunday Telegraph and became a regular speaker on consumer programmes on Radio 5. I have even been in the Washington Post and spoken on Russia Today! My new (and I hope affectionate) nickname is now ‘Mary Queen of Floods’…

The guide not only covers the practicalities of recovering from a flood, including a section for those without insurance, but the emotional rollercoaster that everyone goes through for the weeks and months following a flood. It can be extremely stressful for everyone in the household, not just physically but emotionally too. Many people have described it as a ‘kind of bereavement’ – recent decorations, wedding photos, treasured family heirlooms or mementoes, school projects – all washed away forever and sometimes, in only a matter of minutes. One resident from Yalding said: "I thought it was a great guide with loads of useful information to help cope with the aftermath of flooding. I particularly appreciated the bit about The Emotional Roller-coaster. It helped me to realise how I am feeling is normal and understandable. Thank you."

What was apparent with the widespread flooding this time around was the power of social media.  In the past, floods surge in but once the media leave everyone forgets about the clean-up and recovery. Thanks to social media, people are now able to post live warnings, share tips and advice and keep the situation in the public eye which is important. Thanks to Twitter alone, our Flood Recovery Guide reached an audience of over ½ million people thanks to mentions and re-tweets from hundreds of sources including the Environment Agency, the media, local authorities and the Police. 

Being flooded is just awful but I’d like to think that the new guide helped those during their slow road to recovery and that afterwards, those at risk will also take full advantage of the Know Your Flood Risk campaigns ‘Homeowners Guide to Flood Resilience’ to help reduce the impact any future floods will bring.

Mary Dhonau OBE

Chief Executive KYFR

Follow Mary on twitter @floodmary and The Know Your Flood Risk Campaign @flooduk

Visit www.knowyourfloodrisk.co.uk for more practical guidance and advice.

Flood Re - the Future of Flood Insurance

Mary Dhonau OBE, Community Flood Consultant and Chief Executive of Know Your Flood Risk Campaign

At the end of June the Government announced that they had agreed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Association of British Insurers (ABI) on how to develop a not-for-profit scheme called Flood Re that would ensure flood insurance remains widely affordable and available. The MoU is a first step towards establishing Flood Re.

The announcement came as a huge relief for the hundreds of thousands of people in the UK who live at risk of being flooded and lived in fear of both individual property and community blight.  This announcement confirms that Flood Re is the Governments preferred option.  There is much detail to work through, but the ABI have in place a framework agreed with the Government on which to proceed.

I was panel speaker on the flood insurance debate at the recent ABI Biennial conference and the general consensus of opinion at the conference was hugely positive towards the establishment of Flood Re.

The key aspects of Flood Re are:

• A cap on flood insurance premiums.
• Caps will be linked to property council tax bands.
• The Flood Re pool will be funded through a new industry-backed levy. All UK household insurers will have to contribute to the levy, creating a fund that can be used to pay claims for people in high-risk homes.
• It will take time to implement, therefore in the interim the ABI have agreed to support the existing Statement of Principles (SoP).
• Proposal for Flood Re to be in place for at least 20 years.

The proposals published by government outlines the premium cap for the flood component of a policy, which it indicates will result in a typical saving of between 30-40% on overall policy premiums for properties in high flood risk areas.

The Flood Re pool is likely to be set at £180million for the first five years, which equates to around £10.50 for each household in the UK with both buildings and contents policy.

But what will not be included in Flood Re?

• Houses in Council tax band H will be excluded- as Flood Re has been developed to support people who need help in affording insurance. It’s Government’s view that in general people living in Band H (very expensive) homes (many worth over £1million)  is not the right place to direct support and the insurance industry would agree with that.
• Also excluded are houses built post 2009 (as per the existing agreement for the Statement of Principles.) I believe it is very important that building in areas of flood risk is not incentivised. It would be foolish to allow properties being built today, in an era of good flood mapping and modelling, to get subsidised flood insurance. If the planning system is right and works properly then there shouldn’t be any homes in this post-2009 category that would need help.

I have been flooded on many occasions myself  and that one of the aspects of Flood Re that gets my thumbs up to is that it will also include surface water flooding, which in fact equates for the majority of flood insurance claims.  The SoP does not include surface water flooding and this has left those at risk of this type of flooding in a precarious situation. Another favourable aspect is that if a policy holder is put into Flood Re and takes moves to protect their home from being flooded and can prove that they have reduced their risk, they can be taken out of Flood Re and pay less for their insurance. Details of how to protect your home from being flooded can be found in our Homeowners Guide to Flood Resilience at www.knowyourfloodrisk.co.uk.

The period of consultation has just ended and we now wait for an announcement from the Government in the autumn.